The invention relates to a conveyor track of the smart-track type, comprising two conveyors, each consisting of at least one endless, flexible conveyor member, such as a chain, each conveyor having a separate drive and means for switching the drives on and off and controlling the conveying speed of the conveyor members, and at least one section provided with drivers being attached to each of the conveyors by means of attachment members. A machine of this type is disclosed in EP-A-0748751.
Such a machine can be used to group in a row a defined number of small bags filled with crisps or the like and then to package these small bags with the aid of a so-called mould-fill seal machine. In a machine of this type, a sheet of film is moulded into a bag which is stretched around a number of smaller bags. While a row of small bags which have been grouped together are being packaged in a film to form a filled bag, another row of small bags is grouped together.
Known designs of this conveyor track have the drawback of only being suitable for sections which are provided with a defined number of drivers. To transfer to sections with a different number of drivers and/or with a different distance between the drivers, it is necessary to exchange the chains.
The object of the invention is to design the conveyor track described in the preamble in such a way that the sections provided with drivers can be replaced quickly without having to exchange the flexible members.
To this end, according to the invention the conveyor track is characterized in that the means for removably mounting sections which are provided with drivers on an attachment member of a flexible conveyor member are designed in such a manner that the distance from these means to the two flexible conveyor members positioned next to one another is substantially identical.
In an advantageous embodiment, the attachment members comprise L-shaped profiles.
The conveyor track preferably comprises two parallel pairs of flexible members.
To provide good guidance for the sections provided with drivers, a free edge extends on either side of the drivers, extending into a U-shaped guide profile which is arranged fixedly on the frame of the conveyor track.
Replacement of the sections provided with drivers can be simplified further if the guide profile has an insertion and removal part which is intended to guide a section provided with drivers into an attachment position inside the conveyor track or out of the conveyor track.